Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Adventures of Flat WeaselMomma: Water Aerobics

When I first joined my boss's lab she had another grad student, she was finishing up her master's degree and we became friends (I miss her terribly since she graduated and moved away, college sucks). E is a bit of a fitness nut, she believes that exercise is something that should be incorporated into a person's lifestyle, I was more of a, "can't we just go get ice cream instead?" when the subject came up. Then one day I was loitering in our office distracting her from her thesis writing (sometimes I distracted her too much but there were times she needed it, I tried very hard to balance it), she was a bit stressed as is normal for someone going through the torture that is writing a thesis and preparing to graduate and during her Karen break she mentioned how she wanted to try water aerobics but she wanted someone to go with her. After much discussion I conceded and agreed to go with her, grudgingly.

So we went and she didn't really like it, she was into a ton of cross training stuff and in shape so to her it wasn't the level of intensity she wanted it to be. And then there was me, Miss Whine Why-Do-I-Have-To-Go, and it kicked my butt and I LOVED it! I have a knee with tendinitis and probably arthritis and quickly noticed that it worked the muscles that need to be worked to possibly get the knee back into alignment, I suck at doing the at home exercises, combination of laziness, forgetfulness, and lack of motivation. Water aerobics to me is fun, working out with others around helps to entertain and motivate me, and it makes me feel good, I had gotten somewhat badly out of shape. I am totally committed to it and try to go all four days a week it is offered, I schedule my experiments in such a way that I can do both whenever possible. And so Flat WeaselMomma's visit to my world would not have been complete without her attending a water aerobics class.

I almost dropped my camera in the pool while taking video of parts of the class. The weird fuzzy stuff at the bottom of one part is a towel. And my somewhat randomly cracking up during it is in response to the others making fun of me. I had some footage that was hilarious but unfortunately one of the ladies kept getting into the shot and I don't think she wanted to, since I was in the pool I could not check the view screen to make sure, plus we move around a lot, I didn't know until later. Since I am fairly certain she did not want to be recorded (she moved away from her regular spot when I got the camera set up) and even if she doesn't care I will not post parts with her in it without her knowledge and consent. If people are interested in those parts I am willing to ask her next time I see her if she minds being in the background of a few clips and if she is fine with it then I can make either a "bloopers" vid or edit this one to include that footage. But for now I think this is kinda funny and you get the idea:

In case it is hard to understand what I was saying between the noise and my voice not being 100% back I basically said that I do this 4 days a week and thanked you for reading my blog and watching the video =). Oh and I also reinformed my bratty little sister that it is water aerobics not water dancing!

6 comments:

oh the guilt!...i cant live with it! i should so totally be doing that! i have fibromyalgia and messed up feet and water exercises are about the only option i have. i'm just too lazy to actually go do it. uggh...peer pressure, ohhh the guilt.

Non-Flat WeaselMomma: Everyone there was teasing me, it was so funny! Also I totally had half the pool to myself. Though most of the people that were there hang out in the deep end anyway. The other shorty was the most displaced, sadly had she stayed in her normal spot I think she would have escaped the vid. Also I figured I needed to do something a bit healthier with FWM, after some of the questionable nutrition posts and cough syrup bender... FWM is so going to need a diet and rehab after she is done here!

Nonna: Have you tried water exercise? I find it fun and adaptable to my issues. If an exercise hurts or I know it is not a good one for me (the movements themselves and not the impact is actually what can hurt me the most) I can modify it or just do something else while they are doing it. It probably helps that I don't get out much so it is more "exciting" for me to go somewhere besides work and walmart (my blog's title is literal and figurative).

If you can, try it, if there are multiple classes offered perhaps try several, some classes/instructors are better than others. If you have a friend or two that can be conned into it that can also help. I am well known enough with the other regulars that it helps me feel accountable (in a good way). Be warned, if you are not in shape and try to follow the instructor it will most likely kick your ass, it took me awhile to get to the point where I could keep up and not be sore. I am a work through it kinda person, but I am sure easing into it is possible (I was "competing" with people much older than I...). So I am officially putting the peer pressure to try it on you, but if you hate it and you decide life is too short to devote that much time into torturing yourself then quit. Oh and my skinniness is not a result of the water aerobics, I have always been small, it has resulted in my butt, abs, and legs being more defined.

Sibling: I didn't think you had seen me in my water aerobics gear for the very fact that you are still alive, haha.

In Memory

About Me

Formerly I was a deli clerk, after four years of that I retired. Fresh out of college I got in my trusty oldsmobile and drove west to start my new life as a graduate student. This blog will chronicle my crazy antics among other things as I crawl towards the light at the end of the tunnel that is grad school.